The English Satellaview Wiki:Accuracy
Research into the Satellaview and topics related to the Satellaview is not easy to conduct. That is to say, it's not easy to conduct accurately. The internet is full of misinformation, speculation, extrapolation, fan errors, and guesses (some more educated than others) related to the Satellaview. For this reason, readers of the English Satellaview Wiki are cautioned to examine all information presented critically. Despite the best efforts of the most devoted fans, mistakes have been and will be made. The best solution for this problem is rigorous sourcing, a critical approach, and collaboration. The problem faced by most modern sources covering the Satellaview is a lack of oversight. When one researcher works alone, improper or inaccurate assumptions can go unchecked for long periods of time and due to the general lack of information (accurate or otherwise) on the Satellaview, these mistakes run the risk of entering the popular understanding from which point they are difficult if not impossible to fully quash. By drawing together all the information that we can as a collaborative community, it is our hope that the English Satellaview Wiki will become the most reliable and largest source for all things Satellaview. Below you will find information regarding accuracy of information presented by the mainstream news/press. Please remember to pay attention to the source of all claims presented in this Wiki as the claim is only as strong as the source backing it up. Relative accuracy of mainstream news/press coverage The amount of mainstream news/press coverage that the Satellaview and its broadcasts received during the 1990s and early 2000 was considerably smaller than the coverage of other contemporary systems like the Super Famicom and the Nintendo 64. As a Japan-exclusive peripheral, the coverage that the subsystem and its games received in English, French, German, Portuguese, etc. was often limited to pre-release teaser information prior to Nintendo's announcement that the subsystem would not be released abroad. Foreign coverage of the Satellaview during its lifetime was very infrequent and usually consisted of the briefest of blurbs about games from popular franchises. Even in Japan, mainstream press coverage was notably smaller than for other systems due in great part to the fact that apart from the one or two magazines that contained regular information on the Satellaview, the bulk of press material was itself broadcast via the Satellaview to Satellaview subscribers. Proximity of interest The proximity of the source's interest is an important factor to consider in assessing the claims made by the article as interests generate biases and weaken the degree of objectivism which most researchers strive for. Thus, it is often considered to be the case that Nintendo, St.GIGA, and other first-party sources would have a vested interest in exaggerating the positive aspects of the Satellaview and down-playing the system's negatives. While second-party sources would be more accurate in this regard, they often lack any semblance of objectivism, are often quite scarce, and are generally unusable except to source an individual's opinion. Third-party sources like Satellaview Tsushin and Famicom Tsushin are often considered the strongest in this regard due to the presumed lack of bias either for or against the system. Historical accuracy The historical accuracy of a source is also an important factor to consider in assessing claims as the further in time that a claim regarding the Satellaview is made from the life-span of the Satellaview, the less likely it is to be accurate. Written coverage of the Satellaview includes all dates between 1993 and the present day, however the degree of factual accuracy of many modern sources has at times been called into question. KiddoCabbusses. Nintendo can't tell two Zeldas apart.. Satellablog. 4 December 2008.KiddoCabbusses. Nintendo can’t tell two Zeldas apart.. Satellablog. 4 December 2008. In this regard, "period sources" (i.e. primary, secondary, and tertiary sources produced during the period of the Satellaview's lifetime between April 23, 1995 and June 30, 2000) are often considered the most accurate. Since the final Satellaview broadcast in June of 2000, international press coverage has ironically increased as import gaming and retro-gaming have become more established and gamers who were unaware of the subsystem due to the lack of press become interested in the system that is now described as ground-breaking and envelope-pushing. Commensurate with this increase in mainstream coverage has come an increase in fan coverage and interest. Unfortunately, due to the ephemeral nature of Satellaview broadcasts, most primary source material is missing. This makes the job of accurate reporting considerably more difficult than with other systems whose media are still functioning in their original condition. Secondary sources such as original gameplay recordings, period Nintendo press releases, and materials included with other collections tend to be the best sources for accurate information on the Satellaview. Tertiary sources such as Satellaview Tsushin magazine articles, period Famicom Tsushin articles, and international coverage from the 1990s are also usually considered to be fairly accurate. Other examples of tertiary sources may be found in modern-day interviews with persons working directly with the Satellaview during its lifetime. Drifting further afield, however, the realm of the Quaternary sources includes most modern materials including even material from mainstream sources like Nintendo. There is considerable variety in terms of accuracy of modern sources, and critical analysis is essential when dealing with materials from any time after June 2000. Sourcing material presented in the English Satellaview Wiki is a high priority for editors considering that even a very poor source is better than no source at all. See also *Common errors and misconceptions - A collection of rumors and misconceptions that have crept into the popular understanding since June 2000. These errors can often be found in otherwise reliable publications, however they are believed to be incorrect based on present understanding. *Press coverage of the Satellaview - A list of print sources covering the Satellaview grouped by proximity of interest and the strength of historical accuracy. References Category:Guidelines and Policies